


The Ball Keeps on Rolling

by through_shadows_falling



Series: Supernatural Ficlets [58]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode 11x18 Coda, Gen, What I desperately wanted to see but didn't so I wrote it instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6482653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/through_shadows_falling/pseuds/through_shadows_falling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam caught the ball as Dean rolled it to him, and just as he lifted a beer bottle to his lips, a crashing sound came from the kitchen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ball Keeps on Rolling

“Let’s go find that idiot and bring him home,” Dean said.

Sam caught the ball as Dean rolled it to him, and just as he lifted a beer bottle to his lips, a crashing sound came from the kitchen.

Dean exchanged dark looks with Sam as they mutually stood. Together, they crept toward the noise. Dean pulled out the knife he kept stowed on him at all times, and felt less horrible about that when Sam brandished his own weapon. Live and learn. 

They paused outside the door, and Sam nodded at him. Dean would take point. He knew the drill. Didn’t matter that five (or was it six?) beers sloshed around his empty belly. Adrenaline had kicked in, and he was ready for whatever was waiting for them. Or so he told himself.

At a signal from Sam, he leapt into the kitchen and immediately froze.

Cas/Lucifer-whatever knelt on the floor, staring at his hands. “She didn’t kill me,” he said, amazed, and Dean knew at once that it was Cas. How he knew he wasn’t sure - maybe it was the tone of voice, or his stiff posture, but Cas was back in the driver’s seat. For now, at least.

Sam appeared behind him, his knife still outstretched whereas Dean’s arm had slowly lowered. 

“Lucifer?” Sam asked, but Cas finally lifted his face and Dean felt a rush of validation. His friend stared back at them, his blue eyes filled with a swirl of different emotions - far different from the gleeful vindictiveness of Lucifer.

“She ate him,” Cas said. “Amara ate Lucifer. She consumed his Grace. But she spared me.” He shook his head, his eyes flickering to Dean briefly before he shoved to his feet. “She let me live.” He hunched into himself, and that was Dean’s cue to stow his knife and fling his arms around his friend in a bone-crushing hug. 

At first, Cas remained ramrod straight, but then he melted into the embrace somewhat. Dean hated that he still felt the need to hesitate. 

Sam was saying something in the background, but Dean didn’t let Cas go. Lucifer wasn’t a threat anymore, as Amara had literally vaporized him. That meant she was impossibly strong, which didn’t bode well, but she must’ve heard Dean yell Cas’s name in the end. Dean had cursed their connection before, but right now, he was beyond grateful. They had Cas back.

At length, he pulled away after roughly patting Cas on the back and then shoulders a few times. It was amazingly good to see him returned to himself, though Dean didn’t think he’d ever get the image of Lucifer’s leer on Cas’s face out of his mind. Still, a bubbly sort of happiness filled his stomach, and he felt a genuine smile stretching his lips for the first time in a long time. 

“Damn, it’s good to have you back,” he said, his voice oddly choked. He coughed to clear his throat even as Cas gazed at him, his brows furrowed. 

“I…” Cas started, but didn’t seem to know where to go from there. 

Yeah, they had a lot of shit to sort through, most of all the reason Cas felt he had to say yes in the first place. But that would come later. Right now, it was time to celebrate.

Dean draped an arm across Cas’s shoulders. “Welcome back, buddy,” he said. “Are you hungry? Because I could eat a horse.”

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of this just as the episode was ending and not doing the scene I imagined in my head! The opening showed Amara sucking out people's souls, so I thought that was how this one would end...her devouring Lucifer, but sparing Cas because Dean cares about him (UGH THAT CRY THOUGH). So then this happened.


End file.
